VIENNA, 23 February 2017 – The OSCE Chairmanship and Office of the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media will host a high-level conference titled “Freedom of the Media in the Western Balkans”, on 27 February 2017 in Vienna.

The event will provide a platform for the sharing of initiatives and best practices from South-east Europe region on media freedom issues affecting countries across the entire OSCE region with a particular focus on the safety of journalists and media ethics.

During the opening session, participants will be welcomed by OSCE Chairperson-in-Office and Austria’s Foreign Minister Sebastian Kurz and will hear presentations by the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media Dunja Mijatović, Albania’s Foreign Minister Ditmir Bushati, Bosnia and Herzegovina’s Foreign Minister Igor Crnadak as well as a keynote address by Andreas Ernst, the Belgrade-based correspondent of the Swiss daily Neue Zürcher Zeitung.

The conference will take place in the Hofburg Conference Centre’s Neuer Saal, on the second floor. Simultaneous translation into the Albanian and the Bosnian/Croatian/Montenegrin/Serbian languages will be provided.

Follow the meeting on social media with the hashtags #protectjournalists, #osce17AUT.

The OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media observes media developments in all 57 OSCE participating States. She provides early warning on violations of freedom of expression and media freedom and promotes full compliance with OSCE media freedom commitments. Learn more atwww.osce.org/fom, Twitter:@OSCE_RFoM and onwww.facebook.com/osce.rfom.

ATLANTA, Feb. 23, 2017 /Christian Newswire/ — One of the country’s leading nonprofit fundraising consultancies, Westfall Group, is rebranding to multiply its work helping others make a bigger difference in the world.

Photo: Robert Yi, Westfall Gold president and COO, Bob Westfall, CEO and Alan Gold, president and creative chief

As Westfall Gold, the 14-year-old organization is building on 25 years of experience executing over 300 major donor events that have raised more than $530 million to care for the poor, provide higher education, deliver medical care, and transform lives and communities.

In 2016, the firm helped 25 clients connect with over 770 high-capacity donor families who gave an average of $80,000 for a total of $61 million to fuel life transformation worldwide. On average, nonprofit organizations see a 5-to-1 return on investment from Westfall Gold’s unique major donor events.

The new name recognizes the pioneering work of CEO Bob Westfall, the author of “The Fulfillment Principle,” and a speaker at leadership and development conferences, and the contributions of President and Chief Creative Alan Gold, who has won more than 100 awards for his creative work.

“We are extremely gratified with what we have achieved with our clients to date,” said Westfall. “We are looking forward to how we can take what we have learned in nurturing and shaping impactful relationships between nonprofit organizations and their donors, and help realize even greater results.”

As part of the rebranding, Westfall Gold has moved its headquarters to the office tower above the Four Seasons Hotel in Midtown Atlanta. From there, the organization will continue working closely with nonprofit organizations on major donor consulting, event management and creative services–all singularly focused on executing an exceptional major donor event.

Through its meticulously organized three-day gatherings at exclusive locations, the company accelerates the relational journey between organizations and supporters. By the close of a weekend, the connection between donors and non-profit has reached a level that usually takes 18 months to cultivate.

“Our events are all about engaging people at a deep level, forging a vibrant bond within a community that rises up to support a nonprofit’s mission,” said Alan Gold. “We are truly excited about using what we’ve learned and developed to impact more lives.”

About Westfall Gold Westfall Gold (www.westfallgold.com) is the nation’s leading innovator and implementer of major donor events, with a track record acquired through more than 300 events that have generated more than half a billion dollars for nonprofit clients. Westfall’s event weekends bond major donors to organizations’ missions by condensing more than a year’s worth of cultivation into one extraordinary, transformational experience.